A couple of months ago I was looking for a video of the traditional Irish song "The Parting Glass" on YouTube and I came across a version by Davey Graham and Bert Jansch. It is so gorgeous and compelling, I was immediately engaged in watching videos about these two musicians, which led to a continuing quest of seeking out many other British, Scottish, and Irish folk musicians. I have not emerged from this exploration yet, and I have no intention of ever doing so.
Acoustic Routes is one of the best videos, though they are all wonderful. I've been wanting to write such a thorough review of the film that I keep putting it off, so finally I will at least write a brief rave. I will open by saying what a gift it is that someone uploaded Acoustic Routes to YouTube.
The Telecommunications Reformation Act passed in the early 90s basically took all power of choice away from radio stations, leaving them to only play the songs deemed profitable by the corporate entities, thus music today is about profit, not art. To revisit a true musical artist, Acoustic Routes documentary about Scottish folk legend Bert Jansch, the acoustic guitarist everyone wanted to be who influenced a generation of musicians, is it.
This documentary, narrated by Billy Connolly, is not just about Jansch, the brilliant Edinburgh born finger picking guitar player whose irresistible style doesn't need any embellishments, or his humble attitude, (he recorded some of his albums in someone's kitchen), but also about the history of music and of his fellows featured in the film.
And what a stellar cast of folk and blues musicians it is including Brownie McGhee, Davey Graham, Anne Briggs, Ralph McTell, Wizz Jones, Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, Hamish Imlach, Archie Fisher, Peter Kirtley, Jacqui McShee, Duck Baker, and Al Stewart appear. This legendary music is magnificent. Each name listed here has led me to a wealth of remarkable music.
Whether this is a stroll down memory lane for you or an introduction to Bert's steel string virtousity, it is an excellent documentary that holds up through time. I also recommend Bert Jansch: 1) Dreamweaver (2000). 2) Walk On, A music documentary with guitar legends Brownie McGhee and Bert Jansch. 3) Folk, Blues, and Beyond, Davey Graham.
